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Brand Watch • Apolis

31 July

Written by JeffH

One of the most important principles Jollie’s has been built on is that: clothing, no matter how small, is not just about the consumer. We believe that clothing is an invitation to a relationship and we hope that our wear-a-pair, share-a-pair model reflects our commitment to this idea. But we do not want to pretend for one moment that we were the first to think this way! Drum roll please… Apolis: Global Citizen has been an example of what a lifestyle brand can be when it devotes itself to ethical excellence and product quality.

Brother’s, Raan and Shea Parton started Apolis with the understanding that clothing is valuable because of the people who make it. Their slogan: “Advocacy Through Industry” has taken them from Haiti to Taiwan commissioning small batch collections by artisans who would not usually have access to a global market. As Shea often says, “we all know the parable of how if you teach someone to fish you feed them for a lifetime… well we’ve found that there are great fisherman out there but they may not have the right bait or pond.”

We can’t help but be inspired by Apolis’ chic collections (that just so happen to be sourced ethically and empowering to artisans everywhere…) But if that’s not enough to interest someone they of course have an arsenal of photo journals and video resources to show their different journeys (my favorite happens to be their collaboration in Japan to help cotton farmers affected by the 2011 tsunami!).

Apolis has two storefronts, one in New York City and the other in Los Angeles, both have hosted events such as different speakers, barista training sessions, hospitality training sessions, and music nights. The stores represent the philosophy Apolis brings to retail as a place that’s more than just a cash register and price tag… they’re stores are places for community (the names of the two stores are aptly named: Common Gallery and Community Centre).